There are many memorable moments from the annual Journey of Hope excursions, but there is one Jennifer Marinelli will not forget. It came as she looked up from the tail end of an ascending procession of 12 pink Vespa motorcycles, four pink support vehicles and an ambulance, and saw what “looked like a stand of flamingos.”
A young boy in shorts, part of a group that had thronged the roadside to marvel at the pink flamboyance, was so taken up with the spectacle that he dropped his can of Coca Cola. And that is the point. “The pink bikes create the buzz ÔÇô getting people talking about the charity and breast cancer ÔÇô but it is the information provided that literally saves lives,” states a press statement from Journey of Hope.
Jenny ÔÇô a breast cancer survivor- has been at the frontline since she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I had my Chemotherapy in Gaborone. I would sit with a group of Batswana women at the Gaborone Private Hospital Oncology Department and listen to stories of how some of them would walk out of the treatment room, jump into a combi and go shopping before heading home to cook for the family. Some were single mothers without support systems,” she recalls.
Jenny, Rita Keevil, her daughter Kylie Keevil and I are sitting around lunch as the three women fill me in on the war they are waging against breast cancer.
Jenny and Rita are part of the group of women who came together to set up “Journey of Hope”, a social responsibility program, with the aim to educate and empower women about breast cancer ÔÇô not just in the larger towns, but in the villages too. These women literally ride across the country every year – on bright pink scooters ÔÇô stopping at Kgotlas and clinics along the way to teach people about the disease and show them how to check both themselves and others for any suspicious lumps and bumps.
It’s obvious that Jenny and Rita have been spending way too much time together on the breast cancer campaign, from the way they finish each others’ sentences.
In 2008, before Journey of Hope was an idea, the two women and their friends, some cancer survivors, heard of a breast cancer patient in Serowe who could not afford the treatment. The women immediately organized a Ladies Luncheon fundraiser and raised money for the woman to fight Breast Cancer. Soon, a second lady in Maun needed help and once again these women rallied together and enough money was raised to help with her treatment.
It became apparent that there was a need to formalize the work this group of women was doing. The result was “Journey of Hope” which was registered in 2009 as a non-profit organization.
“Initially we raised money to pay for treatment. We then moved away from that because government already pays for treatment and now we raise money for awareness,” explained Rita.
On average, one in 27 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. In Botswana the incidence of breast cancer has overtaken that of cervical cancer. Breast Cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancers. With early detection the survival rate is 95 percent. Ironically, out of 14 women that the group helped 11 died because of late detection. Jenny explained: “A lot of them were stage two and stage three. In Botswana, particularly in the rural areas, many women die needlessly of breast cancer simply due to lack of information and awareness of the disease. Early detection is a crucial part of the Journey of Hope message. Visiting these rural areas and speaking to these women is imperative.”
Then suddenly a shriek and then “look at you!” The look at you is on account of a young black woman sporting a corn-row hair-do who has just joined us for lunch. Kgomotso, whom the group fondly refers to as “The face of Journey of Hope” is the only black rider with the social responsibility program. For a moment, the four women seem lost in their own world as they reminded each other of the rib splitting laugh a while experiences from the last “Journey of Hope” excursion. Rita recalled how Kgomotso arrived in a “blaze of dust and glory” in Kang on the way from Gaborone. This is reference to the crash Kgomotso had during her maiden “Journey of Hope” ride last year.
The group also related how an argument erupted among villagers during a Kgotla meeting they were addressing in Toteng after an elderly man explained that women developed breast cancer if they start engaging in sex from an early age. Another advised women to start having more sex to avoid breast cancer.
“We have had amazing cooperation from chiefs during our Kgotla addresses and this has helped us debunk a lot of myths around breast cancer,” said Rita.
In 2010, Journey of Hope embarked on an inaugural Breast Cancer Awareness Big Ride throughout Botswana. They visited 5 major towns, reached approximately 800 men and women and provided over 300 free breast examinations for those who attended the awareness talks.
This year, Journey of Hope will take the awareness campaign to schools.
“This year we are doing schools before the ride. The Ministry of Health has been amazing and the minister has even indicated that he may join the ride,” said Jenny.
This year’s ride from August 24th to 31st will follow the beaten path between Gaborone and Maun with stopovers for testimonial appearances, talks, breast examinations and awareness workshops will be held in communities en route.
In addition to the Big Ride, Journey of Hope hosts various events throughout the year to raise money for women in need and to ensure that the message of Breast Cancer awareness is never far from the minds of the people of Botswana.
This ride is a yearly event with the route changing each year to ensure that the entire country has access to this life-saving message of hope.
The NGO will also open an office in Gaborone, in a few weeks, courtesy of a sponsorship from Komatsu.
